LEXINGTON, Ky. — The LSU men’s tennis team will complete its two-match road trip on Sunday as the Tigers challenge the seventh-ranked Kentucky Wildcats at 2 p.m. at the Hilary J. Boone Tennis Complex in Lexington, Ky.
“Kentucky is having one of their best seasons of all-time right now,” said LSU head coach Jeff Brown. “They are the seventh-ranked team in the country and we’re struggling a little bit this season. It’s not a really good combination to have, but I feel that we will be up for the challenge and will come to play tomorrow.”
LSU heads into Sunday’s “Easter matchup” with an overall record of 5-9 on the season and an 0-7 mark against Southeastern Conference rivals. The Tigers have played one of the nation’s toughest schedules this season and the Wildcats will be LSU’s 10th opponent ranked among the top-25 teams in the nation.
The Tigers’ 2002 dual-match schedule has featured hard-fought contests against No. 1 Georgia, No. 2 Illinois, No. 12 Tennessee, No. 18 Auburn, No. 18 Florida, No. 23 South Carolina, No. 23 South Florida and 25th-ranked Texas A&M. Sunday’s match versus No. 6-ranked Kentucky will be LSU’s third contest against a top-10 ranked team.
Kentucky comes into Sunday’s match looking to end a three-match losing streak. The Wildcats were defeated by No. 16 Baylor and stunned by both Mississippi State, 4-3, and Arkansas, 4-3, to account for the three losses.
With the losses, the Wildcats fell to an overall record of 13-6 on the season and dropped to a 4-3 mark against conference opponents. Kentucky’s third-conference loss of the dual-match season came at the hands of No. 1-ranked Georgia. The Wildcats were knocked off, 4-2, on the road in Athens, Ga.
In last season’s annual matchup between the two rivals, LSU pulled off a 4-3 victory at home in Baton Rouge. With the win, the Tigers increased their lead in the all-time series to 27-6. LSU has been victorious in its previous two meetings with Kentucky.
The LSU men’s tennis team will look to earn its first SEC victory of the season on Sunday as the Tigers face the seventh-ranked Kentucky Wildcats at 2 p.m. at the Hilary J. Boone Tennis Complex in Lexington, Ky.